Black Americans arrived in West Texas in the early sixteenth century and nearly five centuries later continue to contribute to the region that shares so many characteristics with the western United States. Despite that distinguishing feature, no published study covers the lives of African Americans in West Texas. This volume seeks to fill that gap. ""Slavery to Integration"" consists of twelve articles depicting the basic themes and topics of the black American experience in West Texas. Drawing articles from the West Texas Historical Association Year Book, the editors, Bruce A. Glasrud, Paul H. Carlson, and Tai D. Kreidler, selected well-written and enjoyable articles on the basis of chronology, topic, readability, scholarship, and interest. They include such topics as slavery, black cattlemen, buffalo soldiers, race relations, urban centers, education, desegregation, and integration. Read individually, each article explores an important aspect of African American history in West Texas and, read in aggregate, they cover black West Texas history broadly.

BRUCE A. GLASRUD is Professor Emeritus of History, California State University, East Bay and Retired Dean of Arts and Sciences, Sul Ross State University. Glasrud writes and lectures about blacks in the West. PAUL H. CARLSON is a Professor of History at Texas Tech University and Director of the Texas Tech Center for the Southwest. He has published several books and numerous articles, most of them dealing with West Texas. TAI D. KREIDLER is Executive Director of the West Texas Historical Association and a staff member of the Texas Tech University Southwest Collection. Kreidler has extensive interests in the history of West Texas.